The present invention relates to an encapsulated insulation batt assembly, and, in particular, to an encapsulated insulation batt assembly wherein the envelope encapsulating the insulation batt is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive on its surface or flanges for bonding the encapsulated insulation batt assembly to spaced-apart framing members defining a cavity to be insulated.
Encapsulated insulation batt assemblies are used to insulate building cavities having widths defined by spaced-apart framing members of the building, such as but not limited to, wall studs, floor and ceiling joists, and rafters. The insulation batts used in these encapsulated insulation batt assemblies are resilient glass fiber insulation batts or insulation batts made of other resilient fibrous materials. Typically, these encapsulated insulation batt assemblies are held in place by stapling or taping lateral flanges of the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies to the framing members or the insulation batts used in these encapsulated insulation batt assemblies are made with a higher density and greater width, than would otherwise be required, to enable the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies to be xe2x80x9cpress fitxe2x80x9d between the framing members defining the cavities being insulated.
When the xe2x80x9cpress fitxe2x80x9d method of installation is used, the densities of these insulation batts can be up to 40% greater than otherwise required for insulating purposes and the width of these batts is greater than the standard spacing between successive or adjacent framing members rather than about equal to or less than the standard spacing between successive adjacent framing members. The greater density of the insulation batts used in these encapsulated insulation batt assemblies provides the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies with greater resilience and the greater width of the insulation batts used in these insulation batt assemblies enables the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies to be wedged or press fit between adjacent framing members to hold the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies in place. However, while eliminating the need for stapling or taping the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies in place, wedging or press fitting the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies between successive or adjacent framing members to hold the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies in place has several disadvantages. The full benefit of the vapor barrier to be formed with the installation of the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies can be lost when the lateral flanges of these encapsulated insulation batt assemblies end up being shoved into the cavities rather than extending out and covering the exposed surfaces of the adjacent framing members defining the sides of the cavity. In addition, the increased density and the increased width of the insulation batts used in the encapsulated insulation batt assemblies increases material costs.
The encapsulated insulation batt assembly of the present invention provides a solution to the above discussed problems by providing an encapsulated insulation batt assembly that is easy to install, without the need to staple or tape the encapsulated insulation batt assembly in place, and that can maintain vapor barrier integrity by bonding certain surfaces or lateral flanges of the envelope of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly to the framing members defining the sides of the cavity being insulated. In addition, the encapsulated insulation batt assembly of the present invention saves on material costs by requiring no increase in the density of the insulation batt used in the encapsulated insulation batt assembly to increase the resilience of the insulation batt for installation purposes and by, preferably, using an insulation batt having a width about equal to or slightly less than the width of the cavity to be insulated.
The encapsulated insulation batt assembly of the present invention includes a fibrous insulation batt or blanket (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cbattxe2x80x9d), preferably, having a width substantially equal to the width of a cavity being insulated with the encapsulated insulation batt assembly; first and second major surfaces defined by the width and the length of the insulation batt; lateral surfaces defined by the length and the thickness of the insulation batt; and end surfaces defined by the width and the thickness of the insulation batt. The insulation batt is encapsulated or contained within an envelope, e.g. a polymeric film envelope, having first and second major surfaces, lateral surfaces and end surfaces overlaying the first and second major surfaces, the lateral surfaces and the end surfaces of the insulation batt.
The envelope has lateral flanges which extend for the length of the insulation batt. In several embodiments of the present invention, one side of each of the lateral flanges has a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon for securing the lateral flanges of the envelope to spaced-apart frame members defining the cavity being insulated. In these different embodiments of the assembly, the lateral flanges are located: a) adjacent the lateral edges of a first major surface of envelope; b) on lateral surfaces of the envelope intermediate the lateral edges of the major surfaces of the envelope; and c) with one lateral flange adjacent one lateral edge of the envelope and the other lateral flange on the same major surface of the envelope and adjacent but spaced inwardly from the second lateral edge of that major surface of the envelope. These lateral flanges can be extended outward from the surfaces of the envelope for securing the encapsulated insulation batt assembly to spaced-apart frame members defining the cavity being insulated with the pressure sensitive adhesive on the flanges.
These embodiments of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly also include a release liner for the pressure sensitive adhesive on each of the lateral flanges which overlays and is releasably secured to the pressure sensitive adhesive on the lateral flange. The release liners cover the pressure sensitive adhesive prior to installation of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly and are removed from the pressure sensitive adhesive immediately prior to bonding the lateral flanges of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly to the spaced-apart frame members defining the cavity being insulated.
While the release liners for the pressure sensitive adhesive on the lateral flanges can be separate release liner strips, preferably, the release liners for the pressure sensitive adhesive on the lateral flanges of the envelope are contact areas on the surface of the envelope that have been treated with a release agent. The lateral flanges of the envelope can each be folded from a first position where the lateral flanges extend generally parallel to and are releasably bonded by the pressure sensitive adhesive to the contact areas on the surfaces of the envelope for pre-installation handling of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly to a second position where the lateral flanges extend outward, away from the contact areas on the surfaces of the envelope, for installation of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly. Prior to the installation of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly, the lateral flanges of the envelope are located in the first position with the pressure sensitive adhesive on the lateral flanges in contact with and releasably bonded to the contact areas on the surfaces of the envelope.
In another embodiment of the encapsulated insulation batt assembly of the present invention, a first lateral flange is located on the envelope adjacent a first lateral edge of a first major surface of the envelope and a second lateral flange is located on the envelope adjacent a second lateral edge of a second major surface of the envelope. Surfaces of these lateral flanges are treated or coated with a release agent or have a release agent strip bonded thereto and overlay contact areas on the surfaces of the envelope coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive. When the encapsulated insulation batt assembly is to be installed, the lateral flanges are peeled back from the pressure sensitive adhesive and the contact areas on the surfaces of the envelope with the pressure sensitive adhesive thereon are pressed against framing members to secure the encapsulated insulation batt assembly in place.